CANANDAIGUA — After a long, tangling weed that spreads like wildfire called hydrilla was discovered in the Cayuga Inlet near Ithaca in August 2011, it took thousands of dollars and aggressive measures including herbicide applications and boating restrictions to get a handle on the problem — and the hydrilla fighters are still not out of the woods.

“Invasive species are a huge economic and environmental threat,” said Jim Howe, director of The Nature Conservancy’s Central and Western New York Chapter, who was one of the presenters at an educational event last Thursday at Inn on the Lake. The presentation hosted by Canandaigua Lake Watershed Association and The Nature Conservancy involved information on spotting, identifying and reporting invasive aquatic species. A demonstration at the lake showed how ordinary citizens can check for invasive species using makeshift tools such as rakes with shortened handles and ropes.

About 13 different species of invasive aquatic plants were found in 2013 during monitoring at boat launches on Canandaigua Lake, though so far none of them are hydrilla. Gregg Sargis, the local chapter's Director of Ecological Management, said with diligence and help from citizens Canandaigua Lake could avoid becoming a victim of hydrilla and other species that are not native to the lake and so, choke out healthy types of plants needed for a healthy ecosystem.

Sargis added that a study by Finger Lakes Institute at Hobart and William Smith Colleges of Canandaigua Lake showed that in 2013, nearly 20 percent of the boats going in and out of the lake’s boat launches carried invasive species. The Nature Conservancy is in the the midst of a two-year program to fight the spread of aquatic hitchhikers that involves inspections, educational outreach, mapping and analyzing using new technologies, said Sargis. The efforts also include monitoring boat activity beyond what goes on at the boat launches to check for invasives, he said.

In explaining how citizens can help, Sargis said “You don’t have to be extremely scientific about it. You can look for something unusual,” he said.

Al Kraus, a member of the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Association, said at the event that volunteers are crucial in preventing the spread of invasive species. While there are about a dozen types of invasives in Canandaigua Lake, “there are hundreds more not in Canandaigua Lake,” he said. Projects in the works include ramping up education with more signs about invasives around the lake and creating disposal stations and stations for washing boats.

Such a project is estimated to cost about $175,000, he said. “But what is $175,000 compared to millions to clean it up?” he added.